Nevesített városiasodás. A gazdasági és politikai elit összefonódása Nagyvárad századfordulós fejlődésében
The Entanglements of the Economic and Political Elite in the Turn-ofthe-Century Development of Nagyvárad

Summary/Abstract: One of the recurring themes of contemporary historiography is that of the elite and especially the economic elite. Consequently, the present study is aimed at offering a detailed analysis of the role of the elites in the economic life of Transylvania at the beginning of the 20th century. Transylvania has experienced an accelerated development in the last two decades of the 19th century, and this economic and social momentum has naturally prompted the formation of a more or less wealthy social class that has very much left its mark on the economic, the political, and the social development of this region. Hence, it is my conviction that an analysis of the role of this economic elite within the developmental context is relevant and beneficial for the recognition of a Transylvanian developmental model, and that such a study based on an interdisciplinary approach can offer a new perspective on the topic under discussion. The researched time period, i.e. the beginning of the 20th century, is a most appropriate one for this investigation, since it is at the height of the relative economic maturity and political as well as social stability of the city of Oradea and its region. In addition, I wish to elucidate the position and the role of these economic elites and their possibilities for influence on the development of Transylvania. Thus, my aim is to define, characterize, and study the economic elite of Transylvania at the beginning of the 19th century and its dynamics within the context of local development. Generally, the economic elite has played an important role in the cultural and political life of Transylvanian cities. Therefore, I propose for the purposes of a case study a city which has had a distinct developmental trajectory within the development of this region. Preliminary analyses show that the most spectacular development has been made by the city of Oradea in the period between 1890 and 1910, which has led to its rapid rise to the level of the developed cities of this region. I believe that the analysis of the economic elite of Oradea, as a case study within the context of its development, will offer us a clear picture of the elite and its role in the development of the city. At the same time, I wish to present, as a specific case study, the Rimanóczy family, which belongs to this elite category and has contributed to the development of the city at the beginning of the 20th century.

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